In the Middle of Falling
by clockwork starlight
Summary: The almost kind of companion pieces to Descent into Rapture. Essentially a bunch of unnecessary scenarios in the same timeframe and AU as DiR. [New Chapter] Starting Early: A Memory
1. Red

In the Middle of Falling The kind of companion pieces of Descent into Rapture... mostly because I lack inspiration for the next chapter... Still don't own Naruto... and I'm not allowed to drink yet either, so I don't know if the drinks match the drinkers. This was done because there were an impressive amount of reviews in my inbox after the last chapter had been up for about... 8 hours. And I said I'd do it... so I did.

**Done for the end of Chapter Four of Descent into Rapture **

* * *

Red

"I can't believe you…" Sasori-san, if he had a surname, he shed it when he became a director, automatically tapped his glass for a refill. He and his friend/partner of eight years, Uchiha Itachi were in a small, exclusive and needless to say, expensive bar. And if he had heard his friend correctly, which he was fairly sure he had, then he should be thankful he was very rich, because he was going to be drinking a great deal tonight.

"What? You think I'd let them think they got away with such a stupid move? Six years a long enough for anything to get cold, revenge too."

"I didn't think you'd try and pull something this… this foolhardy. You're taking on the entire Uchiha Clan, and a great deal of the Hyuuga, all over their latest, if not palatable, predictable, move? What the fuck for?" He knocked back the drink that had been filled only seconds before.

"California Dream, thanks." Itachi looked back at his friend. "It's not "all over their latest move", Sasori. It's a number of things, really. This just happened to be a good time to do something." He drained half the cocktail, not particularly interested in his friend's opinion on this particular matter. Sasori may have been a genius with all things business, political, economical and creative, but he didn't understand the Clans half as much as he thought.

"You know what you are? You're a dragon that pretends to be a knight. You go around rescuing your damsels in distress, and then you lock them up for a little while, for your own personal amusement. And the silly bimbettes don't even realize what a village burning terror you are, till _after_ you kick them out, because you're bored of them."

"At least I'm not toying with Kin… yet." Itachi sipped at the rest of the drink, letting the alcohol wash down his throat.

"You'll please wait till _after_ the movie is finished to even consider it. I'm not going to have _another_ actress storm out and refuse to work for me just because _you_ sunk your claws into her." Sasori mumbled toward the table, head resting on his knuckles.

"Oh lighten up." Sasori turned at the strange quality of Itachi's voice and then pretended he had never moved. Itachi was sitting ramrod straight, face ceilingward, with the maraschino cherry from his drink balanced precariously on the tip of his nose.

"Is _everything_ a game with you?" The bartender hadn't needed his signal to fill his drink this time.

"Only most things," Itachi replied, still with the cherry on his nose. "Some things I take quite seriously."

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?" A well manicured hand reached over and plucked the cherry off by the stem, leaving a tiny red smudge where it had sat. The newcomer sat down, and dropped the cherry back in the cocktail glass.

"Deidara!" Sasori was surprised but not displeased that his brother and partner had found them. Deidara was an artist like his brother, but while Sasori tried to make his creations last (in theatres, on DVD and maybe cable), Deidara had resigned himself to his creations lasting only as long as the filming. Deidara was Costume Design. Sasori could never tell if his brother was happy when replications and cosplayers chose to use his designs, or annoyed that his complaints were proven wrong.

"A little birdie on set told me you two had disappeared together. And you're not _that_ unpredictable. So, Itachi-san, what have you done now to drive my older brother to the bottle yet again?"

"Just another game… with maybe a more serious outcome."

* * *

Reviews encouraged, but not threat-worthy...  



	2. Monkey

For **mI.Shoe** because she was all excited by the NaruTen… and because I promised you all a singing monkey… in a very indirect and possibly unnoticed sort of way. Disclaimer at bottom of page.

**Done for the end of Chapter 5 of Descent into Rapture **

* * *

Monkey

"So then, blondie. I believe I owe you a great deal of pain." Ten Ten took her stance.

"Let's see if you can actually deliver." The man across from her retorted.

Naruto quickly rediscovered just how appropriate the name Blade was for this particular woman. She had an uncanny ability to attack and get through most defenses, and get out of them without being caught. However, good as she was, as many hits as she got in, they were too light, too fast to do much to him. He was far too used to Uchiha Sasuke to let the weaving attacks faze him in any way. She wasn't nearly forceful enough with her blows, but she hit him a good number of times more than he hit her. In the end they had to call it a draw. Neither was going to go down given the techniques of the other.

Ten Ten pressed the towel into her neck, tossing the one in her other hand to her opponent where he stood at the water fountain. He caught it absently, nodding in thanks, if one looked very closely, there may have been a slight tinge of embarrassment manifesting itself as bright pink.

"Hey, Blade, do you like the circus?"

Ten Ten didn't miss a beat. "Naturally, look at the spectacles my friends make of themselves."

"Hey, I resemble that remark." Naruto growled mock-threateningly. Ten Ten laughed good naturedly before it occurred to her that perhaps Naruto was trying to tell her something.

"So what does it matter if I like the circus?"

"Well that friend I've been trying hook Sakura up with… gave me his pair of tickets because the pink haired princess shot him down and stepped on him. Soyouwannagotonightortomorroworsomeothertime?"

"I'm sorry, that sounded an awful lot like you choked on a struggling frog right there. Could you repeat that?"

Naruto scowled and glared at the innocently smiling Ten Ten.

"I _asked_" he took a step toward her with each word, "if… you… would… like… to… go to the circus… on a date…"

By the end of the sentence, his nose was an inch away from hers, and he was almost snarling at the amusement written so plainly on her face.

"With you?" she chirped brightly. "Hmmm… Well I _am_ free tonight… and tomorrow… and some other time, so why not?"

* * *

"Uzumaki Naruto, you can not be telling me that you have suffered Maimouphobia since childhood." 

"Well no… not clinically. They're still creepy."

"And you're a 23 year old man. Honestly. You took me to a _circus_ and monkeys make you uncomfortable. Brilliant planning, really. Am I going to have to hold your hand or something?" Ten Ten treated him to a superior moue.

"Oh, would you?" he asked mocking innocent hope dripping off his words.

The two of them sat in their seats, and Ten Ten surprised Naruto by taking his left hand and settling it about her shoulders. At his questioning look, she blushingly retorted. "Only because you don't get along with your cousins."

* * *

Naruto really shouldn't have been surprised when he got to his Konoha Club locker in the Elite's lounge, and found a small monkey in a party hat. And though it went against his common sense, he pressed brightly colored button on its paw telling him to squeeze. His eye twitched for a good five minutes as the Counting Crows' 'Monkey' played back at him. 

Clutched in the monkey's other paw was a note. All it said was "A token of thanks. Ten Ten"

_All dressed up  
No place to go  
Hey monkey, when you gonna show your face around me?   
I know all the wrongs and rights  
And I just want a little light to fall on me_

_Hey monkey, where you been?  
This lonely spiral I've been in  
Hey monkey, when can we begin?  
Hey monkey, where you been?_

_We'll I'm all messed up  
That's nothing new  
Hey monkey, when you open up your blue eyes  
I don't know if I'm wide awake or dreaming  
But all I ever need is everything_

_Hey monkey, where you been?  
This lonely spiral I've been in  
Hey monkey, when can we begin?  
Hey monkey, where you been?_

_Just get the world off your shoulders  
And close your pretty blue eyes  
Hey monkey, what's life without an occasional surprise?_

_Got nowhere but home to go  
Got ben folds on my radio right now  
I'm in trouble for the things I need  
Hey monkey don't you want to be needed too?_

_Hey monkey, where you been?  
This lonely spiral I've been in  
Hey monkey, when can we begin?  
Hey monkey, where you been?_

* * *

Because it's rather subtle… Wikipedia says that Uzumaki translates to spiral. Iunno… it just kind of seemed to fit. 

Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto or the song Monkey... which as I said, is by Counting Crows.


	3. Suggestion

Because I realised there needed to be more Neji x Ino love. Deviates more than a little from what you would ever expect. I'm only a tad not sober right now.

* * *

Suggestion

She broke the silence; naturally. He didn't quite trust it was completely coincidence that Ino had been available to spar with him right now.

"So they're at the circus right now." Two muted thuds on the wooden floor.

"Yes." He got up first.

"As in lions and tigers and bears oh my. Almost. Kinda. Maybe. Foreign chicks bending themselves in half. Sequins and sparkles. Hyuuga Hinata and Uchiha Sasuke should fit right in. Think they're having fun?" She was defending and talking without any difficulties.

"I would imagine at least the press is." He was just naturally reticent.

"Not what I asked."

"My cousin is probably at least _trying_ to have fun." A toned leg swept toward her knees, aiming to land her on the ground.

"You don't want to give Sasuke any credit do you?" Arching back and using her hands to propel the rest of her over, she neatly avoided his foot, while giving him a very good view.

"Not really." He didn't stand, swinging his leg further than a full circle. Knocking her unsteady footing into a fall. Arms caught her before her head made contact with the floor.

"Ever been told you're overly honest?" Hands raised to concede victory to him.

"Doesn't usually happen in my line of work." He carefully helped her stand.

"Being an overprotective cousin does not count as work." She plunked herself down on a cushion.

"Pays well."

"Che."

"I can prove it." He sat down next to her.

"How?"

"I'll take you to dinner."

"Sounds good. You just better hope I didn't bruise." Ino began unwinding the bandages on her legs. At his questioning look she grinned. "Can't you see the headlines? 'Hyuuga Neji: girlfriend beater?' I mean… I didn't mean… um… fuck." Ino's face went through an almost comical string of expressions. Realization, embarrassment and finally resignation.

"Wouldn't mind if we did." Neji's face was carefully blank.

"Sure… wait a minute… did you just say what I think you said?" Disbelief reigned supreme.

"Depends on how you interpreted it." He had the emotionless mask down very well.

"As in… I said… and then you said… and… and… fuck it all to hell." Ino buried her head in her knees. She wasn't about to give in to possible disappointment… but he was making that more than a little difficult.

Sadistic bastard smirk was back in place as he leant over and asked very quietly, "Could you last that long?"

"God _damn_ it, what the hell are you playing?" She certainly hoped it was just anger making her cheeks this pink.

"You. Like a violin."

"So is that my cue to make 'sweet, sweet music'? Or are we going to drop that part?"

He offered another suggestion as to what she could drop, that could also involve music.

"I did not think that I would ever ask this… but Hyuuga Neji, are you fucking drunk or high or just completely out of your mind?"

"No comment."

"Let me guess… drunk on my presence, high on my attentions, and just generally insane to be so."

"In not so many words, yes."

"My place for after dinner coffee?"

"Why not. I take cream, no sugar."

"This is so not how I planned to hook up with you."

"You had plans?"

"Vague, directional notions really. Whatever works."

"Pick you up at seven."

* * *

Zomg!11eleven!one1 Neji being dirty! I do so love writing crack. It's like punching things without the damaging school property part. **Done for the end of Chapter 10 of Descent into Rapture**. Like I said... I'm only slightly crazy.  



	4. Desserts

Gaara x Hanabi cut outs, as promised. Don't own anything, really, not the characters, not the Zippo... which is a good thing, not a single cigarette either... I'm just peachy like that.

**Done for the middle of Chapter 13, Descent into Rapture **

* * *

Hanabi knew cigarettes were bad for her health. But some days… like this one… the stress was more than enough to kill, with or without the lung cancer. Usually she only indulged in just the one when she was about ready to bodily harm the majority of her extended family with a blunt spork. However the past couple of months… ever since she'd found out about this engagement… well, suffice to say that the corner stores tended to see her more often than usual. A single pack a month wasn't bad, no where near an addiction certainly. But… 

She repressed a snarl as she fished out her lighter. She really shouldn't be smoking outside a library. It set a bad example, and she did service the community once a week. But no one ever cared. If Hinata were there… If Hinata were there, she'd shake her head, say something like "Is it really necessary, Firecracker?", hug her and continue walking. Neji would glare at her till she either put it out, or got pissed enough to flip him off.

Her lighter was not cooperating. Sometimes life just decided that functioning was too much trouble.

"Those things will kill you, eventually." A silver Zippo sparked and the light was held to the tip of the cigarette dangling between her fingers.

"They can wait in line." She took a quick breath of toxin before actually looking at her benefactor.

"Stressed often?" the lighter clicked again before disappearing into a pocket.

"More than is fair, Uzumaki. More than is fair." She watched the tip of his cigarette flare as he drew in the poisons that brought a small bit of relief.

"You realize most people think you worry unnecessarily."

"Most people are extremely uninformed."

"Including your sister."

"Uzumaki Gaara, you _have_ met my sister, right? She's the poster girl of noninformation. At least she doesn't try to get me on drugs, for over anxiety." She blew a swirl of smoke towards him in her pique.

"She knows enough to know it's not unnecessary." He didn't bat an eye as the white vapors dissipated around him.

"Information is a precious commodity… but it's heavy as hell." She bit down on the papery surface in annoyance.

"Since we're on the topic of information. Congratulations."

"What?" Hanabi blinked, eyes demanding he tell her why.

Gaara lazily took a drag before even looking at her. He exhaled slowly, letting the smoke caress his mouth before it escaped.

"You _are_ Elite now, aren't you?"

"How did… I didn't even… when did they announce…" Hanabi's hand curled into claws, and it was more than obvious by her trembling shoulders that she was restraining herself from tackling him to the ground. Not that he thought he'd mind if she did. She inhaled her smoke a couple of times before relaxing a little bit.

"Less likely to maul me now?"

"If you get about fifty feet away, you should be fine." Hanabi walked away from the building, not bothering to see if he would follow her. She stubbed out the remains of her cigarette in the dish of gravel and left.

She was surprised and perhaps more than a little astonished when he caught up with, also having disposed of his.

"I thought we agreed that you were safer farther away from me."

"Did we agree that I want to be safe?"

"Masochist, are we?"

"Well if we're _both_…" The back of her hand tapped his cheek.

"Learn to never take a girl literally."

"I see no girls." He caught her hand before it made contact with his cheek again. "Just a woman."

Hanabi only let her defenses slip for a second; she stared at him in utter disbelief. He paid no heed to the lightning changes in her countenance. Instead, he loosely pulled her in, letting his hand fall to her waist.

"Late lunch will be my treat."

* * *

"So when _did_ they announce it?" Hanabi picked indifferently at her food. 

"Yesterday afternoon. You haven't been to the Club since the exam, have you?"

"No… no real point… Too busy making up for the fact that Hinata isn't worried about her life. Wait, wrong phrasing. She just… she trusts too many people, and even if she does have some semblance of control over her life, that trust could break and take a great deal of her with it."

"And you want to prevent that from happening."

"Pretty much. Even if she doesn't show her appreciation for her 'controlling little sister', I know she's grateful. Even if she did compare me to _that_." She gestured with her spoon towards the gently steaming bowl in front of Gaara. She dismissed the comparison with a little flourish and pensively stuck the tip of her spoon in the corner of her mouth. Of course… she nearly choked on her cutlery at Gaara's next comment.

"What's wrong with that? I enjoy eating o-shiruko." From the ever so slight gleam in his eye, he was well aware of what he said. She narrowed her eyes. This meant war.

"You like sweet things?"

"On occasion. Though I'm a fan of bitter flavors too." He flicked her a glance.

Hanabi was hard put not to twitch at the implication. "Sure they're not too strong for you?"

"Every now and then it's nice to just let it wash over your senses." She couldn't tell how seriously he was taking this game.

"You have odd taste."

"I can't tell everyone else just what they're missing." He calmly continued eating. If she was watching him carefully spoon his dessert into his mouth, she did an excellent job of not appearing to.

"Could be because they're not missing out on anything."

"Nah." He eyed her untouched bowl. "You could at least try it before deciding you don't like it."

"I have tried it, and I never said I didn't like it. I just said that the uneducated wouldn't care for it." She diffidently began eating her o-shiruko.

"Like you care what the uneducated think."

"Sometimes you don't have a choice."

* * *

The authoress would like to point out... that she has no idea what she's doing, and therefore probably shouldn't be doing it.  



	5. Solitaire

Been a while, hasn't it? Life has been busy, but summer's here, so all is well. For me at least. Standard disclaimers apply and stick... better than Teflon. **Post DiR 22, pre DiR 23.**

* * *

"Of all the things you could have gotten addicted to… it had to be this." Naruto looked at the computer screen in disgust. 

"And what's wrong with this?" Ten Ten did not look back at him, hand working the mouse till it sounded like a hyperactive cicada.

Naruto looked at the score in disbelief. "You can ask that?"

"It's just Solitaire."

"How long have you been playing?"

"Half an hour. Ever since you got into the shower."

"You have problems."

"Pot. Meet kettle. You two have a lot in common." Cards cascaded across the screen. Ten Ten finally looked at him as the queens began their descent. "What?"

"This is what you do in your spare time?" There was a pause.

"When I'm alone, yeah."

"When are _you_ alone?"

"Sometimes I want to be. Mostly I just am. Everyone is alone at some point or other." She shrugged and watched the sevens dance off. "I don't like it as much as some people, so I play Solitaire. Is that so weird?"

"Well—"

"That was a rhetorical question." There went the fives.

"Go get your shower."

"We have two hours." She clicked the 'yes'.

"Two out of the three we're meeting up with are going to be Hyuuga pricks."

"'Cause Hanabi is _such_ a stickler for protocol." Two aces up. "Why isn't your brother coming?"

"Who knows?" Naruto didn't seem too put out about it. "Gaara's an antisocial emo. You know he's only a few skips away from being classified 'homicidal maniac'." Naruto grinned at his attempt at wit.

"No doubt we can thank living with you for most of his life for his violent tendencies."

"I'm just that kind of person."

Three stacks cleared. "The kind of person many people call a thick headed loudmouth."

"Many people don't know me."

"Do you let them?" Seven cards up.

"Sometimes. You know, I'm perfectly willing to forcibly escort you into that shower stall." She was given a suggestive grin.

"I thought you didn't want to be late." She asked indifferently, sorting the kings into an order she approved of.

The front door slammed. There was a soft thump as a duffle hit the ground. There was another as something, probably the much abused duffle, collided with the wall. Naruto glanced toward the hallway, and with a quick look at her, excused himself. Ten Ten mentally shrugged and watched the cards descend again.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"Are you _sure_ you don't want to come with us?"

Why was the elder child the whiny one?

"Yes. Now go away."

"Aw, you in a bad mood." The pout was audible. "Well fine, we'll have fun without you. Just tell me why Jiraiya told me to ask you how the little Hyuuga was. He keeps saying something about… research…" Slowly but surely the wheels were turning.

There was silence. However one didn't need to be in the room to tell that this was not silence of the everyday 'one more word and I'll introduce a mop to your colon' kind, this was silence of the 'I have no answer because all the blood is rushing to my face and not my brain, can you give me five seconds to think of an appropriate response' variety.

"You… She… My god." Dumbstruck was probably the best word to describe it.

Ten Ten stopped clicking as she took in the implications, taking advantage of Naruto's 'attempting to salvage reality' silence. She could call Ino right now… but that would alert Gaara to the fact that she now knew, and she wasn't sure she'd survive that. It explained Hanabi's sudden penchant for red, because it sure as hell wasn't because she was a fan of the Uchiha. Maybe now would be a good time to shower, Gaara wasn't that kind of person. Being naked was as good immunity as well… being naked among other things. Ten Ten very quietly slipped herself and her duffle into the bathroom and locked the door.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

By the time she emerged, Naruto was the only one in the apartment. Gaara was apparently weaker than she thought if he couldn't handle twenty minutes of his brother's jibes.

"Hey gorgeous. Ino called. Hanabi's come down with something, and is quite happily getting spoiled by her family, excepting the ice princess, who thinks she's pretending. She did however manage to get a hold of Misty and his boytoy, so they'll be joining us." A solid arm draped comfortably around her shoulders, never mind the snakes of hair still dripping water.

"Haku and Zabuza? I'd heard they were back in town." She reached over her shoulder to free her hair and give it a good wringing. "Looks like it'll be a fun evening. Because you're going to be explaining to the rest of us that little exchange you had…"

* * *

"I'm wondering if maybe your cousin was right, and you are just pretending." Hyuuga Hiashi watched his daughters enjoying the 56" screen and the unearthed gaming consoles. 

"I may have played on mother's sympathies to avoid getting caught outside with couples." Hanabi admitted shamelessly, executing a physics-defying maneuver while still looking at her father.

"You're lucky my maternal instincts override my indignance, little firecracker." Keiko announced, as she entered bearing a tray of mugs. "And that I understand being the fifth wheel is awkward, even if you only understand that word in terms of other people, Hanabi-chan." She set down two steaming mugs next to her daughters. "Hinata hasn't gotten any better at this I see."

"I haven't played in ages!" She protested, eyes not leaving the screen. "And who am I to deny my invalid sister's request that I play with her?"

"Not an invalid." Hanabi snapped, sneaking a sip of hot chocolate, ignoring the usual protocol of waiting for it to cool.

"It's nice to have the children back, isn't it?" Hiashi asked softly as his wife set another mug in front of him.

"It's a warm feeling."

* * *

I'm sort of kind of maybe working on Chapter 23. I wrote this as preparation... really I did. 


	6. Starting Early

Don't own a thing. Intellectual properties can not be bought, claimed or mutilated in translation.

It came to me during a period of after Christmas insomnia. And it was something in the right direction of creativity usage. And thus, clockwork presents: Her Idea of Hanabi's First Day at High School, May God Have Mercy on Their Souls.

* * *

**Starting Early**: A Memory

"Rule One: what I say goes." Hanabi drove her manicured nails into the soft fleshy wrist. "Rule Two: _don't _fucking touch me." She threw the hand that had recently been gripping her arm away. "Rule Three: _what I say goes_, and I say if you _ever_ say that about my sister again, I will _not_ be taking care of the hospital bill." She drew back a hand and paused, as if thinking again and deciding that her manicure had suffered enough, there would be no point in having to redo it over this trash. She kicked her heckler hard in the shin and silently commended herself for choosing not to wear sandals today.

The only sound filling the silence of the aftermath was internal bleeding, and that doesn't make very much noise anyway. It seemed the better part of wisdom not to get trounced by a 94 pound shrew with a satchel, so the crowd dispersed, one bruiser choosing to help his limping comrade along, muttering something about hoping this wouldn't affect his kendo skills.

"Hanabi." Haku's pacific tone was merely over compensation for their shared belligerence, and they both knew it. "I do not think your darling sister is going to be at all happy that the first thing you did at school was cause a fight."

"You only care that your 'Neji-senpai' is going to be pissed at you for not stopping me. Or for not doing it yourself to protect _my_ reputation." She poked around in her bag for her schedule and handed it to the upperclassman. "Besides, I didn't start it. His misguided, incorrect and slanderous ideas about the Hyuuga heiress did. I simply tried to correct him and in the process may or may not have provoked him enough to get… physical."

"You've been taking lessons from your cousin in the art of covering your ass, haven't you?" Haku skimmed over the rooms quickly and began circling them on the rather cramped map new students were given with the vague idea that it would help. "I'm beginning to think you should have stayed home-schooled. Less casualties."

"Actually Hinata suggested, and mother agreed, that any friends I made and kept were welcome to drop by. I'm sure no one will mind if you stay for dinner, we're already having Neji and his family over to celebrate his promotion within the Konoha Club."

"If I didn't think you such a sweet and charming little girl, I'd almost say you wanted to see your cousin choke on his chopsticks. Again."

"It was a birthday party I shall always remember. See you after school?"

"Of course. Down that hall to your left is your first class. Try not to kill anyone."

_Yes, Hanabi mused, she'd been protecting her sister for a long, long time. But there were some things that didn't need to be told to be worthwhile._

* * *

I do so love violent characters, there's never any question how they react in situations. With violence. 


End file.
